Card dealing apparatus including reciprocating pusher and cooperating rollers



United States PatentO The present invention relates to a card dealingapparatus having a magazine which receives a pack of cards and isrotated, whereby one card at a time is pushed out through a narrow slotin the magazine by means of a pushing member, a predetermined number oftimes for each revolution, and outside of the slot is provided a rollerdriven by the rotation of the magazine, which coacts with acounter-roller to draw the pushed card ontirely out from the magazine.

Such apparatus are known, in which the pushing member consists of arotatable cam or eccentric roller provided with a friction coating. Dueto frictional engagement with the card, such a pushing member is liableto extract also the underlying card, whereby the cards become wedged insaid slot and thus prevent the function of the apparatus. Moreover, theknown apparatus are very complicated and thus expensive in manuiacture.

The object of the invention is to provide a card dealing apparatus whichdoes not have the above mentioned drawback and which is of very simpleconstruction and thus cheap in manufacture.

According to the invention this is achieved thereby that the pushingmember is a metal plate of somewhat less thickness than a card, andwhich is reciprocable in guides at the level of the topmost card, whenthe magazine rotates. In this arrangement it is not necessary to pressthe pack of cards against the pushing member, as is the case in theknown apparatus which use friction engagement. The pushing member, theof which preferably amounts to of the thickness of a card, thereforepushes the topmost card through the slot without this card beingaccompanied by the nent-to-the top card.

An embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail withreference to the drawing.

FIG. 1 shows I3 horizontal section through the apparatus according tothe invention.

'FIG. 2 shows a central cross section through the apparatus in FIG. 1.

The apparatus consists of two main portions, the stationary portion, thestator 1, and a rotatable portion, the rotor 2. Externally the statormay be of circular shape, as shown on the drawing, or edged. The rotoris rotatable about a central pivot 3 at the bottom of the stator. In thecentral portion of the rotor is provided a magazine 5 for the pack ofcards. In the bottom of the magazine is provided a resiliently-mountedplatform 6 upon which the pack of cards rests. A pack of cards isrepresented in the magazine by heavy dot and dash lines, and when it ispressed down to the position shown in FIG. 2, the compiression springunder the platform 6 is compressed in a known manner. When the cover 7above the magazine and pack of cards is closed, the top car of the packabuts against a member Son the underside of the cover and rests readyfor pushing out when the rotor is rotated, which in the embodiment shownis effected manually by inserting a finger in a cut-out 9. The statorconsists mainly of a bottom plate 10 having four rubber lugs, so that itrests stationary upon a base. The central pivot 3, about which the rotorrotates, and a gear rim 11 and a guide groove 12 is provided on thebottom plate. The side walls 13 of the stator serve to conceal theinside 3,131,935 Patented May 5, 1964 ice outfit, all other mechanicalparts being attached to the rotor. At one end of the magazine 5 there isprovided a pushing member 14, which upon movement of the rotor pushesthe topmost card a distance out of the magazine. The pushing memberconsists of .a steel plate a little thinner than the thickness of acard, and the movement takes place in guides 22 at the level of thetopmost card, so that a reciprocating movement is obtained firom theguide groove 12 by means of 21 transmission 15 in the form of a driver,the upper end of which is attached .to the pushing member 14. As shownin FIG. 2, the pushing member 14 rests on the horizontal portion 20 of aright-angle bracket 21 attached to the end of the magazine 5. Thehorizontal portion 20 of the bracket extends out slightly above the wall13 and includes upwardly-projecting guides 22 at the respective sides ofthe pushing member 14. A longitudinal slot 23 provided in the horizontalportion 20 through which the driver 15 extends. The pushing member,which exerts a slight pressure against the memher 8 on the underside ofthe cover, pushes the topmost card to slide it along the member 8 andout of the magazine through a slot 19 on to -a rubber roller 16 and beneat-h 1a cooperating roller 17, the roller 16 being driven through (agear transmission 18 from the gear rim 11 at the bottom of the stator.

The apparatus may also be operated electrically by means of labattery-driven electro-motor, which is built into the rotor togetherwith the battery, the motor over a gear being in engagement with thegear rim 11 at the bottom of the stator.

I claim:

1. In a card dealing apparatus including a rotatable magazine forreceiving a pack of cards to be dealt, means for rotating the magazine,means for pushing the topmost card of the pack partly off the top of thepack a predetermined number of times for each revolution of themagazine, and cooperating rollers carried by the magazine for receivingeach pushed card, drawing it out of the magazine and dealing it, theimprovement in which the means for pushing the top card comprises areciprocable pusher plate of somewhat less thickness than a card of thepack and mounted on the magazine for reciprocation at the level of thetopmost card of the pack, and means for reciprocating said plate apredetermined number of times for each revolution of the magazine duringits rotation, said reciprocatingmeans during each reciprocation movingan edge of said plate against an edge of the topmost card to push thetopmost card partly off the top of the neck.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including a closable cover forthe magazine against the underside of which the topmost card of the packrests when the cover is closed, the upper part of the pusher plate alsoengaging the underside of the cover so that its leading edge engages theedge of the topmost card to be pushed.

3. In a card dealing apparatus including a rotatable magazine forreceiving a pack of cards to be dealt, means for rotating the magazine,a resilientlyamounted platform in the magazine on which the pack ofcards rests for urging the pack upwardly, means for pushing the topmostcard of the pack relative to the pack a predetermined number of timesfor each revolution of the magazine, and cooperating rollers carried bythe magazine opposite the position of the pushing means for receivingthe pushed card, drawing it out of the magazine and dealing it, theimprovement in which the means for pushing the top card comprises areciprocable pusher plate mounted on and at one side of the magazine forreciprocation at the level of the topmost card of the pack and having anedge for engaging the adjacent edge of the topmost card of the pack, andmeans for reciprocating said plate in a direc- 3 tion to engage saidedge of the plate with the adjacent edge of the [topmost card and pushthe topmost card of the pack a predetermined number of times for eachrevolution of the magazineduning its. rotation. i

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, including a closable rcover'forthe magazine against the underside of which the topmost card rests Whenthe cover is closed, the pusher plate also engaging the underside of thecover so that its leading edge engages the edge of the topmost card tobe pushed, and a guide mounted on the magazine in which the pusher platereciprocates.

5. In a card dealing apparatus including a rotatable magazine forreceiving a pack of cards to be dealt, means for rotating the magazine,a resiliently-mounted platform in vthe magazine on which the pack ofcards rests for urging the pack upwardly, means for pushing the topmostcard of the pack relative to the pack a predetermined number of timesfor each revolution of the magazine, and cooperating rollers forreceiving the pushed cards, dnawing it out of the magazine and dealingit, the improvement including a closable cover for the magazine againstthe underside of which the topmost card of the pack rests and 7 againstwhich the pack of cards is urged, said means for pushing the top card ofthe pack toward said rollers comprising va reciprooable pusher plate ofsomewhat less thickness than a card of the pack, said pusher plate beinglocated at the level of the top card of the pack at the side of themagazine opposite the position of the cooperating rollers and includinga petition operable along the underside of the cover so that its leadingedge engages the adjacent edge of the topmost card of the pack, andmeans for reciprocating said pusher plate a predetermined number oftimes for each revolution of the magazine during the rotation of thelatter;

References Citedin the file of this patent McConnell July 28, 1936

1. IN A CARD DEALING APPARATUS INCLUDING A ROTATABLE MAGAZINE FORRECEIVING A PACK OF CARDS TO BE DEALT, MEANS FOR ROTATING THE MAGAZINE,MEANS FOR PUSHING THE TOPMOST CARD OF THE PACK PARTLY OFF THE TOP OF THEPACK A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF TIMES FOR EACH REVOLUTION OF THEMAGAZINE, AND COOPERATING ROLLERS CARRIED BY THE MAGAZINE FOR RECEIVINGEACH PUSHED CARD, DRAWING IT OUT OF THE MAGAZINE AND DEALING IT, THEIMPROVEMENT IN WHICH THE MEANS FOR PUSHING THE TOP CARD COMPRISES ARECIPROCABLE PUSHER PLATE OF SOMEWHAT LESS THICKNESS THAN A CARD OF THEPACK AND MOUNTED ON THE MAGAZINE FOR RECIPROCATION AT THE LEVEL OF THETOPMOST CARD OF THE PACK, AND MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID PLATE APREDETERMINED NUMBER OF TIMES FOR EACH REVOLUTION OF THE MAGAZINE DURINGITS ROTATION, SAID RECIPROCATING MEANS DURING EACH RECIPROCATION MOVINGAN EDGE OF SAID PLATE AGAINST AN EDGE OF THE TOPMOST CARD TO PUSH THETOPMOST CARD PARTLY OFF THE TOP OF THE NECK.